From the vast Amazon Basin in the north to the hedonism of the flamboyant city carnivals, seeing all there is to see in Brazil, Latin America’s largest country, would take a lifetime. Maybe two. Here’s a bite-sized sampling for starters.

”OK so there’s not a whole lot around here that will deter too many for too long, but there’s an unmistakably cool vibe on the straight grid of streets that is the Uruguayan capital, a riot of 19th-Century Neoclassical architecture and one of the best cities on the continent in which to tuck into a steak.”

“It gets all the Colonia attention, and rightly so. A grid of enchanting streets on a small peninsula jutting into the Rio de la Plata, this UNESCO-listed region is made for exploring. You won’t get lost (trust me, it’s too small for that), but you’ll have fun meandering from one plaza to another along cobbled & shaded streets, checking out pastel-coloured tile-and-stucco colonial houses, ye olde churches and ancient fortifications.”